With Hurricane Melissa wiping out large sections of traditional farmland, new opportunities have opened for households and small producers to supply restaurants and supermarkets now facing shortages of leafy greens through hydroponic farming. The push to adopt the technique is being led by Agriculture Minister Floyd Green and a hydroponic supplier and farmer who was able to restore his own production within two days of the hurricane’s impact.

“I believe hydroponics is the way forward in terms of how quickly we can turn around crop yields after a disaster such as Melissa,” Jermaine Bryan, CEO of Blueprint Farms, told the Jamaica Observer in an interview.

With traditional farming now slowed down by waterlogged soil, delayed replanting timelines and potential soil contamination, recovery in the hardest-hit areas could take weeks. Hydroponic systems, however, can help fill some of the immediate supply gaps, particularly for leafy greens such as lettuce, pak choi, kale, callaloo and mint, which suffered severe hurricane damage. Unlike soil-based farming, hydroponic operations can be restored within two to four weeks after a natural disaster, compared to up to six weeks for traditional methods, and can deliver higher output in smaller spaces. The systems are fully detachable, allowing them to be disassembled and secured ahead of a weather event and quickly reassembled once conditions improve.

“You use approximately 90 per cent of less water in terms of outfield farming and less dependence of imported goods and the crop consistency can be a year-round production as well,” Bryan said.

With automated irrigation, a central tank and a main reservoir, hydroponic systems recycle water for up to a month before needing to be replenished. Although the initial setup cost is high, Bryan stressed that the investment is recovered quickly because of the shorter crop cycle, allowing farmers to harvest more frequently and improve turnaround times. The Agriculture Ministry has procured 250 tower-farm hydroponic systems for distribution and training, with the goal of encouraging wider adoption of the method as demand for leafy greens rises. Green said the approach can strengthen household food security while creating opportunities for those looking to expand into commercial supply. He urged householders to consider the system, noting that markets are open and supermarkets are actively seeking new suppliers.

“You can go to a company, go to a supermarket and ask to be their lettuce provider,” Green shared, in an interview with the Business Observer. “Now is a good time because supermarkets and retail shops will be looking for supply.”

While the set-up costs vary based on location and production scale, modular towers require electricity, which is another factor to consider in the start-up cost, though solar-powered options are available; while more expensive upfront, they lower operating costs over time. Small-scale systems can start at $500,000 to $700,000 and can expand to $4 million to $5 million when incorporating a full greenhouse structure or indoor growing area with LED lighting. Blueprint Farms is also seeking partnerships with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority or HEART/NSTA Trust to provide training and expand access to the technology nationwide, with the aim of ensuring that households across the island have the capacity to grow their own food.

“The climate is becoming more unpredictable. We need to control how we grow food, safeguard our food for our people where, in times like this, we don’t run short of what we need to supply to the nation,” Bryan noted.

BRYAN…the climate is becoming more unpredictable. We need to control how we grow food safeguard our food for our people, where in times like this, we don’t run short of what we need to supply to the nation.

GREEN…you can go to a company, go to a supermarket and ask to be their lettuce provider.